Fr Bev’s 70th Anniversary of Priestly Ordination

Homily of Fr Andrew Burns C.Ss.R at the Mass celebrating the 70th Anniversary of priestly ordination of Fr Bev Ahearn C.Ss.R.

70 years ago, in 1953, Easter Monday was on April 7, and on that day three young Redemptorists were ordained priest here at Bishop Eton: John Smith, from Birkenhead; and James Mythen, and Beverley Ahern from Liverpool. I knew John Smith for many years as we worked together in South Africa.

I knew Jimmy Mythen as a rather scary authority figure at first, but someone who mellowed so far as to be able spend a week touring Scotland with the same, Michael McGreevy, my brother, Paul and myself camping. Can you imagine Jimmy Mythen in a sleeping bag, in a tent, eating food cooked on a camping stove!

And Beverly Ahern. I missed most of Bev‘s glory years in my time in South Africa, but it has been my joy and privilege to share community life with him here in Bishop Eton in these last few years, to witness his kindness and patience, his lively interest in all that we are doing, his genuine holiness.

Bev tells me that the idea that they should be ordained here in Bishop Eton, rather than in Hawkstone, our seminary, was to promote vocations.

Well, 15 years later, in 1968, three other Merseyside lads were ordained here, Michael Henesy, Philip Jones, and Tony Hunt, who died just before Christmas.

Was that day 70 years ago just a convenient day, or did it have particular meaning?

Easter Monday within the octave of Easter – is a continuation of the celebration of the central feast of our Catholic faith. The story of our faith finds its meaning in the experience of those women in the garden on that first Easter day. They first found an empty tomb. They were told by angels that Jesus had risen from the dead, and now they actually meet Jesus, and he says to them: do not be afraid, go and tell my brothers that they must leave for Galilee.

As the disciples meet the risen Lord themselves, they are helped to discover the real meaning of all that has happened during the last three years, and especially the last few days. All that Jesus said and did made sense of the whole history of the Jewish people: they come to know Jesus as the visible sign of God’s saving love. This becomes the heart of the gospel – the women are told, go and tell; the disciples in their turn are told, go out to the whole world and proclaim the good news.

The events of that Passover Weeknd became the source of the life of the church.

The mystery of the death and resurrection of Jesus is made available and accessible to the followers of Jesus, through the life and actions of the church, the sacraments. The mission of Jesus to bring God’s saving love to the world, is continued through the life of the church, through the witness of faith of all of us, Pope, Bishop, priests and faithful. Through us, God’s love is made available to the people of today.

Today, we look back 70 years and give thanks to God for Bev‘s wonderful share in this great mission of Jesus. But we are encouraged also to follow his example and take up the challenge of Jesus to go and tell my brothers, go out to the whole world and proclaim the good news. Congratulations Bev on these 70 years and thank you. Let’s pray that we will all be able to persevere as you have done.